Seafood, oysters served at haunted Tempe restaurant

TEMPE, AZ (AZFamily) — Halloween may have passed, but there’s a Tempe restaurant you can visit year-round where you may see ghosts.

Casey Moore’s Oyster House is located less than a mile from ASU’s Tempe campus and has a long history. Tales of its hauntings go back decades.

The building was constructed in 1910 and served as a home for William and Mary Moeur for decades. According to the city of Tempe, William was a prominent Tempe citizen who helped organize the Tempe school system and became a member of the first Tempe school board.

In the 1920s, William died in the home from a brain bleed. Mary later died in the 1940s from natural causes in the upstairs bedroom.

The home was renovated and converted into a restaurant in 1973. It sold again in 1986 and has been Casey Moore’s since.

The upstairs bedroom has been remodeled into a dining room, but it’s used sparingly. It’s where the ghosts of both William and Mary have been seen dancing.

Jeff Titone, a server at Casey Moore’s, says, “There have been other reports of even way back in the day when we did have dinner service [upstairs] where ghosts would rearrange the place settings and forks and knives have been found in the ceiling.”

Many ghost sightings happened after hours, including one corner in the room located south of the bar where apparitions have been spotted.

Titone says the staff is familiar with the unexplained, saying, “We’ll have lights turn off for no reason, cabinet doors open for no reason, things fall off shelves. Usually, that time, we know it’s time to leave for the night.”

Other than the ghost sightings, another novelty for Casey Moore’s is its food.

“It’s a kind of a contradiction to have an oyster house here in the middle of the desert, but our oysters are from the Chesapeake Bay. They’re from the Delaware area. We get them flown in five times a week, so they’re super fresh and we actually go through so many oysters because people just love them,” Titone says.

One of the most popular oyster dishes, and Titone’s favorite, is the Oysters Rockefeller. It takes a little bit of time to make, but it’s packed with flavor and cheesy goodness.

“They are broiled with spinach, bacon, mornay sauce and cheese, and a little bit of onion,” Titone says.

The restaurant also serves a classic fish and chips, which is flakey and delicate with a house-made tartar sauce. The clam chowder is excellent, as is the creamy Cajun pasta with a kick of spice.

Casey Moore’s also offers classic bar food like chicken wings, onion rings, hamburgers and sandwiches. Last year, they added a vegan menu that includes plant-based chicken fingers, potato skins, pasta, and a plant-based meatball sub.

Whether dining on the patio next to the koi pond or grabbing a seat inside, Casey Moore’s offers a full-service bar. Some of their specialty cocktails include the Heidi’s Mule, which is a take on a classic Moscow Mule, and the Cactus Cooler, which is common among the college student crowd.

They also have rotating tap handles of beer, with many local offerings from Four Peaks and Huss Brewing. One of the most common selections is “Church Music” from The Shop Beer Co. in Tempe. Titone says they sell about a keg a day of it.

They also focus on specialty beers, by offering a “beer of the day” deal.

Titone says, “Customers can enjoy $1.50 off a draft beer for that day, and we try to highlight some of the more unusual beers that we have on tap.”

While located close to ASU in Tempe, Titone says Casey Moore’s Oyster House serves a mix of students and locals. He says many families come in to enjoy the laid-back atmosphere or cheer on the Sun Devils on game day.

Casey Moore’s Oyster House

Location: 850 South Ash Avenue, Tempe, Arizona 85281

Hours:

• Monday through Thursday: 4 p.m. to 1 a.m.
• Friday and Saturday: 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.
• Sunday: 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.

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